


The Lone Wolf Dies But The Pack Survives (because home is where the heart is)

by SilverFox29



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen, Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Earth, F/M, Pack Dynamics, Pack Politics, Parallel Universes, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Silver Queen's Dreaming of Sunshine Universe, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Politics, Werewolf!Shikako
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:52:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverFox29/pseuds/SilverFox29
Summary: In which Shikako is reborn again on Earth. Except this isn't her Earth. Nor that of any story she recognizes. Instead, she has been reborn onto an earth where werewolves are real. (Not that she's complaining because thank god it isn't twilight with lovestruck vampires that shine in the sun)-Alternatively, Shikako just hopes and prays that she won't be that rare white wolf with gaggles of enemies chasing her due to some god-forgotten prophecy or has an Alpha mate that rejects her and then goes berserker over her. (Because surely life won't be that cliche right?)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 185





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Credits to Silver Queen for her brilliant work :)

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

It came back slowly. Slips of memories that brought _pain_ , and _horror_ yet so much _love_ and _hope_.

She remembered a golden haired boy that became _her_ sun. A red-eyed boy that became _her_ moon. A one-eyed man who became _her_ tree. A brother, a twin- _her_ other half.

Then there was a snake-like man who taught her fear. A nine-tailed beast that suffocated her. A purple eyed man who destroyed her home. A masked man who nearly ripped her heart apart. A woman, a goddess that made her feel endless despair.

She remembered armies of endless undead, fighting against friends and family turned foe. She saw blood and tears. Death and gore. She felt the world turn both silent and loud. She became the _stars_ and the world itself.

She sobbed and screamed, trashing at these nightmares that haunted her sleep, always afraid of what the next night would bring. Memories of them? Or a war that never happened?

Her parents were always there to sooth her, comforting her. They spoke in hushed whispers behind her back though, never knowing she heard everything. They brought her to the pack doctor, to human counselors, to psychologists but to no avail. Nightmares they called it. A child's imagination.

And when she turned 8, her world shattered.

Alarms blazed as enemy warriors streamed into their lands.

The _Darkmoon_ pack they were called, led by Alpha Russel- _Cold_ , _savage_ , and _bloodthirsty_. They slaughtered all who resisted.

She watched as her father's throat was ripped by a dark grey wolf. Watched as her mother fell apart at her soul mate's death. Watched as her alpha's heart was pierced. Watched as her pack crumbled apart.

That _pain_ , that _agony_ , that _despair_ , that _fear_. She felt it all like a thousand knives were stabbing into heart as it was torn into pieces. She didnt want her mommy and daddy to die. She didn't want to die. She wanted to vanish into the ground and dissapear. She wanted time to rewind. She wanted to _kill_ them all with her bare hands.

_Sorrow. Hate. Despair. Hate. Loneliness. Hate. So much hate hate hate._

She snarled as anger overtook her mind and she lunged at that grey wolf who took _everything_ from her.

Then all she knew was pain, _pain_ and **_pain_** and her world dissolved into nothingness.


	2. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief summary of how she was reborn and her current situation. Note that there are some foreshadowing if you can catch them :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that in this story when Shikako is used, it usually means that she is reminiscing about her past life or that there is some connotations to her life as Shikako.
> 
> When Gazelle is used, it means that she is more focused on the now then the past. 
> 
> Also, it has been some time since I read DOS or watched Naruto so do correct me if there are any mistakes in the content!

**Chapter 2: Flashback**

Shikako stirred to the soft rhythmic beats of a machine. Her body still, and her breathing stable. No she was _Gazelle_ now. _Gazelle Lyx_ of the _Moonlight pack_. Not _Nara Shikako_ of _Konohagakure no Sato_. Yet she was so much more of _Shikako_ then _Gazelle_ as her years of Shinobi training kicked in. 

_Deceit. Lies. Misdirection._

When captured by enemies, always access your situation. Never let your enemies know that you are awake for as long as possible. Gather all possible information. Protect all secrets. 

Where was she? Why was she still alive? Why was she given treatment when she so clearly remembered a claw ripping through her stomach. When she remembered her pack being slaughtered by the Darkmoon pack. When her alpha fell to theirs. 

The last thing she remembered was - _Kaguya raged as the earth splintered. Sasuke's Susanoo covered them as she blasted bursts of pure energy at them. Naruto's rasenshuriken tore through the air towards Kaguya. Their wrists, imprinted with Hagamoro's mark pulsed in unison. They were attempting to buy her time. Time for her to complete what would likely be the grandest feat of her life or the dumbest. Because she couldnt afford to let it fail. Not this seal. (And even if she had already tested it thousands of times, nothing would be able to replace Kaguya as a subject)_

_Her mark pulsed as she channeled all the charka stored and gathered, drawing the seal that she knew like the back of her hand. The seal that would cast Kaguya from this world. Because she knew, with absolute certainty that there were many many worlds out there just like the one she was once from. And since Kaguya was immortal, the only way to remove her for good was to ensure she never found her way back. Even if that meant damming another world to a cruel fate. Because clan, allies, village. Her precious ones came first. And if sacrificing another world would save all those she loved, she would damn that whole world in an instant._

_Although sealing Kaguya just like the bijuu could work, she couldn't risk it. **Wouldn't** risk it. Not when it was already proven that humans were greedy for power, constantly squabbling over the bijuu like little kids fighting for toys - what more the mother of charka? (She would be dammned if she caused her precious ones to ever face Kaguya again just because her heart wasn't **cold** enough, **determined** enough to condemn another world. Not that Naruto with his bleeding heart should ever learn about this.)_

_And it worked. Or at least she think and hopes it did. Kaguya was caught in the seal like planned. Naruto and Sasuke had bought her enough time. Had managed to lure the Goddess into the trap. Had damaged her enough._

_Then it all went wrong. Because just as the seal was about to transport Kaguya away, she exploded into insanity, her charka visibly burning the air, towards her. Sasuke, in a fit of desperation had used his kamui to save her, flames of Amaterasu burning Kaguya's charka. And Naruto, sweet sweet Naruto turned more beast than human, pouring all his power into his strongest move to counter Kaguya's final strike._

_Then the next thing she knew, she was Gazelle and Gazelle was her._

And no, she had to focus. She was Gazelle now. Not Shikako. It didn't matter what happened to Kaguya _(or it did just not now)_. What mattered more was why she was still here. Still breathing.

From the familiar scent of the room around her, and the sheets she was lying on, she knew she was still in her pack house. Nearby, she could smell the scents of several of her packmates, though they were marred with a similar bloody scent. 

An emptiness rose in her heart as she tried and failed to connect to her packlink. It was dumb to had tried - but she had just hoped and _hoped_ that somehow, _her_ pack had won and defeated _them_. Yet, the empty feeling in her heart proved otherwise. Her parents were dead. Her alpha and luna were gone. Her pack was destroyed. And she would never see her family again- _Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Ino, Kakashi-sensei....._ Was she destined to lose everyone she held dear? 

Sensing that no one from _that pack_ was around, Gazelle opened her eyes and looked around. She stared at the comforting silhouettes of her surviving packmates, who like her had been placed into the infirmary. They all shared one similarity - Her mind whispered insidiously. _They were all below 12, the best age to be brainwashed._

A throbbing pain in her stomach brought her out of her thoughts. Her fingers flirtted over the bandages lightly. 

_Weak_. She was so pathetically _weak_. What had she been doing during her whole childhood? As Shikako, she could have ran laps around Konoha at 8 or thrown a weapon accurately at a target. She could have named the geography of the entire elemental village, recited the important figures in every village, identified all the most common edible herbs. But as Gazelle- dear sweet Gazelle who had been pampered since young. Even searching through all her memories, she learnt almost nothing about the political structure of this world, the geography of even her own pack lands, or how to survive alone in the wild. With how weak her muscles felt, she could bet she wouldn't even last 1 round around the training field. And wasn't that pathetic? 

Shikako's nails bit into her palm in anger and disappointment. She was too _weak_ , too _slow_ , too _pathetic_ to protect the ones she cared for. And she _hated_ this feeling so much. 

She knew that in this world, although she was born a werewolf, she would not get any special traits until she turned 16 and shifted, changing from a dormant were to a active were.

From what she could deduce from the stories told around the packhouse and her parents, 16 is a special age for werewolves because that is the time that their bodies and minds are deemed capable of holding their other half. As such, only at 16 would they be able to shift and communicate with their wolves. At this time, they would become stronger, faster, more agile, with higher vitality and healing speed. But before that, all they would have are enhanced senses of sight, smell and hearing.

The only exceptions to this rule were those with superior bloodlines - the royals, the alphas, the betas. ( _Which was so ironic because now she had been born into another life where bloodlines truly did matter so much again_ )

For her though, both her parents were only ordinary members with no special bloodlines. Or rather the most special thing about her was that her mother was the pack healer which was not a hereditary position but still usually a role passed on to their children. 

Which meant she couldn't just wait for her gifts to fall out from the sky because she refused to be so weak any longer. There was no way she would wait till she was 16 just to become stronger. Moreover be it in physique or knowledge, her current self was _unacceptable_.

Once she had the chance, she would rectify this mistake immediately. For she knew that she would definitely have that chance or why else would she and the rest of the children still be alive?


	3. Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Shikako officially becomes a member of the Darkmoon pack

**Chapter 3: Initiation**

They lined up below the stage in muted silence, some sad, some furious, some resigned. Not a single child dared to step out of line. One by one they were called up and before long it was her turn.

"Gazelle Lyx, under the witness of the Goddess, do you swear to take the Darkmoon pack as your own? To _love_ , to _protect_ and to _guard_?"

"I swear." Her voice was cool and steady, unlike the children before her whose voices trembled with fear. Not like she had any choice but to accept unless she wanted to become like _him_. The little boy a few places before her who lashed out at the alpha, screaming and yelling in hatred. He was now dead, his still-warm body lying at a corner of the stage, reminding everyone else of the consequences of a denial. 

_How could they? How could he? He was just little Tommy, a little kid grieving over the loss of his parents, his pack. He was just the brat whose eyes sparkled with life and who stole her crayons two days ago and-_ She squashed that burning anger she felt bubbling at the edge of her mind. She couldn't afford to show _any_ weakness or hatred. Not _now_ when she knew all so clearly that this was all part of a test. For what purpose she did not know but she did know that she could not afford to fail. Not if she wanted any chance of growing stronger in the future. 

For even if she didn't know the way _this_ world revolved or the reasons behind _their_ actions, she knew human psychology well enough. Humans and weres were similar in plenty of ways, even if they did treat humans as a inferior species. _That_ much she could ascertain despite the limited knowledge she had. 

As members of a defeated pack that was merged into the victor's pack, they would _always_ be outsiders until they proved themselves as one of them. No amount of sugar-coated words could hide this reality even if they were but mere _children_. Afterall, no matter how much she wished to deny it, even in Konoha _(the village best known for their friendliness)_ , the children of refugees from other villages were still treated as _somewhat lesser_ even if they themselves were born in Konoha. Not in the eyes of the law but in the _subconscious_ behaviors of those around them. _And reputation_ , _as Ino used to say, was everything when it came to establishing a strong foothold_. _It could take years to build a good reputation but just a single careless moment to destroy it._

"Do you swear to take me as your Alpha? To obey in peace and war? To trust in health and sickness?" The Alpha wielded his voice like a blade that would have sent _(and had sent)_ many children onto their knees in fear. _But could any aura beat the aura of an enraged Bijuu rampaging freely?_

Shikako refused to look weak. _The strong were respected, the weak were scorned_. She would _not_ tremble or falter. "I swear." 

The Alpha's eyes glinted with a smidgen of approval in return. "Then slit your wrist into the _riteria_ and drink."

Gazelle did as she was told without hesitation, droplets of her blood dripping into the _riteria,_ her own blood mixing together with that of all the other Darkmoon members'. Then she lifted the bowl to her mouth and drank a small sip, unflinching even at that chocking stench of blood. A packlink bloomed at the back of her head and suddenly her heart didn't feel so _empty_ again. She could feel them now; The warmth from the bonds that welcomed her and her surviving packmates, the pitter-patter of voices in the general chat mind-link, the congratulations that rang in her head as her new packmates privately mind-linked her.

"Welcome to the pack Gazelle." The Alpha grinned with a warm friendly smile. 

Was he really _that_ nice? Unbidden, the image of his blood stained wolf tearing into her packmates rippled through her mind again. _Careful, it's a trap,_ her mind whispered. _No pack should truly be this warm, this welcoming, to outsiders_. 

"Thank you Alpha." Conflicted, her head bowed, she walked down the stage, welcomed into the folds of the pack - _her_ pack now.

Not that she truly hated them (even though her heart screamed otherwise) because _logically_ , she knew that they were _kind_ enough already. To show them -the children- mercy and allow them to live on. _And wasn't that surprising, the cold-hearted Alpha having enough heart to spare the children?_ For although they but children who were young and weak, with age they would grow stronger and smarter. Who could guarantee that no one would turn traitor one day? That no one would rise in rebellion for the sake of revenge? 

Like her, the other children docilely followed the given instructions and she felt their presences bloom at the back of her mind. Though unlike her, none of them seemed to have shared that _same_ moment with the Alpha. Some stumbled and fell in fear, some spoke their vows in chocked sobs, some unable to slit their wrists themselves, some gagged drinking from the _riteria_.

Although _Gazelle_ hated the fact that they had destroyed everything she held dear, _Shikako_ was cognizant enough to recognize that revenge was never the answer. It would only lead to an endless cycle of hatred and vengeance. Moreover, what would happen after that revenge? If they succeeded who would run the pack? _(They had no one with an alpha bloodline left because being merciful did not equate to being dumb.)_ If they failed, then the ones who rebelled would die while the rest would likely be discriminated against, forever viewed with suspicion and distrust.

As such, as much as _Gazelle_ hated the ones who killed her pack and as much as _Gazelle's_ heart yearned for vengeance, _Shikako_ forcefully buried all such thoughts. No she would reserve these thoughts for later consideration. Because she was the _shikabane-hime_ _who rewrote dynasties and maps_ and the last thing she was afraid of was _rules_. So what if there was no one with Alpha _bloodline_ to rule left? 

She had once lived in a world where _democracy_ reigned supreme and afterwards a world where _might was right_. Although bloodlines did have a certain significance in both her past lives, they were not the _be-all-end-all_. Unlike others who had been indoctrinated since young to bow their necks to those of superior _bloodlines_ , she recognized that these people were respected _because_ their bloodlines made them stronger than those without. If she was strong enough, then who would dare to oppose her despite her bloodline?

So, she would wait and see. See how this pack treated her and her surviving packmates. If they were fair and just, she would help ensure that her packmates wouldn't try rebelling. ( _Not because she didn't hate them but because she didn't want to risk the **precious** lives of her packmates.)_

If they weren't... well it wasn't the first time she led a rebellion anyway. Even if it would prove really troublesome.

* * *

**Glossary:**

**Riteria:** This is not a real word but one I created after merging the words patera ritualia together which translates to bowl of ritual. Riteria, is a ritualistic bowl that is said to be blessed by the moon goddess herself. Before any initiation ceremony, it is used to collect the blood from every existing member of a pack. Initiates would then mix their own blood into the bowl and drink a sip to show their willingness and acceptance to become part of that pack.

 **Mindlinks:** There are three types of mindlinks. 

The **general chat mind-link** in which every member of the pack can tune in to listen to or tune out and treat as background noise. It always exists. 

The **group chat mind-link** in which a group of selected weres can listen to. A temporary link that exists only as long as the people involved wish it to be. No one can kick another were out of a group chat mind-link but members can leave without causing the link to disappear as long as 2 or more members still remain

The **private chat mind-link** whereby only the two weres involved can listen to. A temporary link that exists only as long as the people involved wish it to be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kind of ran out of ideas for the oath portion and used the marriage oaths as inspiration oof. Any suggestions? ><
> 
> Also, I've dropped more information about this new world and will continue to do so in the following chapters. If you have any suggestions on how you feel the world setting could be, feel free to voice them! I swear I will consider them though I may not necessarily add them in.


	4. Early Life in Darkmoon I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Shikako and the other children are slowly brought into the folds of Darkmoon Pack. (Part I)  
> Includes more worldbuilding and background information.

** The Lone Wolf Dies But The Pack Survives **

**Chapter 4: Early Life in Darkmoon I**

In the days that followed, Gazelle and the rest of her grieving packmates were slowly brought into the folds of the Darkmoon pack. 

At first, they were kept in two different wings, which separated the males and females. They were fed with blend porridge, mixed with sprinkles of meat and vegetables for every meal. Every afternoon, a middle-aged woman who asked to be addressed as Auntie Reena would gather them into a large room to tell them stories. She would speak of the accomplishments of the brave Alpha Russel and how he led the Darkmoon pack from a weak nothing to a towering giant that stood for strength and power. She would speak of the courageous warriors who fought to protect their home. She would show them videos of moments of unity and celebration, happiness and determination.

Alternatively, she would share anecdotes of the valiant males who did all they could to conquer the hearts of their mates, their humorous ideas that led to disastrous results and the tongue-lashings they received. _(These stories would gain the swoons of the girls as they themselves imagined being swept off their feet by their strong prince charmings)_

Several times, a few of her fellow girls would speak harsh rebuttals in anger and grief. There was even one who was courageous enough to attack her. These girls were swiftly punished though. The one who dared to attack Reena _(Not Auntie Reena. Never **her** auntie)_ was taken away and no one saw her for the next three days. When she returned, that spirit in her was broken and Gazelle could see the bruises littered all over her skin. (Shikako _raged_ because how could they have left her a mere shell of her past?) As for those who dared to speak against Reena, their _privileges_ were taken away depending on the severity of their words. They could have their cots taken away, be given less food or worse tasting food, made to write line after line of apologies, or do exercises that left them dead on their feet.

On the flip side, those that asked questions and showed their interests in the stories? Those that oohed and ahhed at their warriors conquests or the indigenous dates of their male packmates? They were rewarded with better privileges. They got sweets and pretty dresses, food that tasted heavenly (because _anything_ would taste good after eating blend porridge for every meal) games to play and were even allowed to meet with the boys who were equally _well-behaved_.

Not that Shikako was ignorant of what she was doing. Having a woman who smiled like the sun, wore bright colours, and insisted on them calling her Auntie - It was clear that she was but the first cog to facilitate the children's merger into the pack (or at least the girls as she was not too sure what was happening on the boy's side, but she was sure that it wouldn't be much different).

The stories of conquest told, would inspire both confidence in the power of the pack and fear of betrayal. The stories of mates would fill their heads with fantasies of gallant white knights and hopes for a better future. The carrot and the stick approach would encourage further good behaviour and discourage bad behaviour. 

Although these were but the simplest of methods, they worked. She could see it in the eyes of her fellow grieving packmates. Although they once hated the Darkmoon pack for their savageness and all those they had lost, that hatred was slowly but surely lessening in intensity. Like the _Stockholm syndrome_ whereby the kidnapped would slowly feel gratitude towards their kidnapper,the carefully crafted interactions and punishments ensured that the children started to subconsciously desire the tiny crumbs of affection and rewards handed out and dread any action that would merit a punishment.

Nonetheless, Gazelle allowed herself to be manipulated ( _because the best lie is built on truths_ ) to gain _their_ trust. Soon, she had earned herself, several pretty dresses, accessories that made the other girls swoon in envy, meals that tasted so much better and a cot that was so much softer and warmer to sleep in. 

Nonetheless, she certainly didn't forget to calm the looks of betrayal sent by some of the older girls at how she quickly she seemed to give in to the enemy. Instead, she made sure she shared any of the good food she got, allowed little Leia and Thalia to share her dresses, and gave the accessories to any of the girls that looked sad. She would speak comforting tones at the right moment, reminding them that their mummys and daddys wouldn't want them to be so sad but to live life to the fullest. If not for themselves then for _them_. Because they had given their lives to protect them and hence their spirits lived on through them. She would also share stories of the books she once read to amuse them; from fairytales like Cinderella and Red-Riding Hood to heroic tales like Tales of the Gutsy ninja and Harry Potter. _(Making her seem like just another doe-eyed girl who bought into the ideas of heroes and prince charmings was just an **unintended** side-effect)_

Soon she gained a reputation of being a generous, precocious child, who loved stories and had a curiosity that streaked for miles. _Stone to 4-4._

This reputation would set the foundation of her future activities both with the children ( _her roots_ ) and with the adults of the Darkmoon pack.

When she was given the privilege to leave the room, as much as she wanted to rush to the library, she held herself back. Although her reputation as an avid story-lover would give her some leeway, it would without a doubt raise eyebrows. No _normal_ child would rush to the library straight after they were given freedom. And in this life, she couldn't _afford_ to be labelled as a genius. At least not an _intellectual_ genius if she still wanted to live. A child that was too smart for her own good would be marked as a threat and that was the last thing she needed.

So sometimes she would run to the gardens with the other children, frolic in the grass and playground, play house and make crowns of flowers. Other times, she would sneak herself to the kitchens to 'steal' food, crash in the common room to watch TV, and bagger the adults to tell her stories ( _for stories all hold a smidgen a truth and there is no smoke without a fire_ ). And adults were so much more loose-lipped and less cautious around children which allowed her to learn so much _more_. Of course, not all adults were friendly or kind. She could see that lurking hatred in the depths of some's eyes, others in their voice which held traces of anger. Those people, she postulated likely were close to someone who had been injured or killed by her former pack during the invasion.

Slowly, she pieced together bits and parts of the puzzle that had hunted her every since she regained her memories, the most important being that it was _impossible_ that they were the _only_ survivors left. This was because mathematically speaking, it was impossible that there were less than 100 survivors from her former pack.

This Earth's culture while significantly different from her previous, held many similarities. Where that world was once split by murky boundaries between different continents, this one was split into 6 distinct continents each ruled by 1 royal family; America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica. Alphas, here, were equivalent to mayors. Whereby these Alphas were kept in check by Nobles (who had inherited the royal bloodline but were not of the direct lineage) who were equivalent to governors. 

Considering that on her previous Earth, a town usually had a population of at least 20, 000 members, that humans were not included and that she didn't know exactly the population count or distribution of this world, she estimated that there should at least be at the very least 10, 000 werewolves in her pack. 

Moreover, normal wolves were split into 5 castes; The core members, the inner members, the normal members, and the outer members. This would be the Earth's equivalent of the elite-class, the upper-class, the middle-class and the lower-class. The last class was one that existed outside the system- The business class. Although she was still hazy on the exact details of what the classes meant, she roughly understood that the castes they were in determined where they lived, who they interacted with, and their duty towards the pack.

The _core members_ were expected to live and die with the pack. Chosen by being the creme-de-la-creme, they served as the Alpha's trusted advisors, living in or near the packhouse. They were composed of those who stood at the pinnacle of their respective professions within the pack lands. The _inner members_ were expected to help defend the pack, acting as the normal foot soldiers even though they were considered as the elites of the pack. They served as the subordinates of the core members and lived in the inner periphery. They could be compared to the high flyers and scholars of her former Earth. The normal members were expected to ensure smooth daily operations. They were the average joes that lived a normal life in the middle periphery. The outer members were expected to serve in any way they could. They did odd jobs and lived with the humans in the outer periphery.

As to her and the rest of the children living in these building? She theorized that they were all that remained from the core members. This would explain why their total numbers were so little, why she had not seen many as many people around her as a pack should have in the past, and most importantly why the Darkmoon would bother sparing and healing them. 

Although it was true that normal werewolves did not have any special bloodline inheritances unlike the royals, alphas or betas, what they did have was genetically based differences. For generations, those from the higher classes would get more resources, better education and better training. An accumulation of this over time would result in children with higher intelligence and stronger bodies being born to these family lines. Even at the starting line, the mothers of these children would receive more care and be allocated better resources, allowing their children to have a higher potential than the children born to the lower castes. Although not everyone would fufill this potential, it was without a doubt that the children born from the core members would have the highest chances of inheriting the best genes and hence have the highest potential. 

This had already been proven true in the Elemental nations where the clanborn children were all advantaged since young with larger charka pools, better instincts, and stronger senses. Although there were certainly civilian born geniuses who managed to beat the clan children, they were far fewer than the clan children who beat the civilian born. It wasn't discrimination. It was simply a matter of genetics. It was just like her clan. Although all Naras were born with abnormally high intelligence, it wasn't a kekkei genkai by any means. Their kekkei genkai was their affinity for the shadows. The Yamanaka clan, on the other hand, had simply bred themselves over time such that all members had an unusually high emotional intelligence. Combined with the teachings they received and the specialized tutoring they got it was no wonder that so many clanborn children were leagues ahead of the civilian born.

If Alpha Russel was as ambitious as she had assumed, then he would also have predicted that his need for talents would continually increase as his pack expanded and grew. Although he could draw these talents from his own inner members, there was a reason why inner members were inner members and core members were core members. That is, inner members were good enough to be _near_ the top but nowhere good enough to be _at_ the top. Yet, he couldn't exactly poach these elites from other packs because he wouldn't be able to trust them. As such, he had probably spared them despite the risk they posed and invested so much effort into them because he wanted to groom more elites that were loyal to him. _High risks, high returns._

That being said, now her situation was more delicate than ever. If Alpha Russel's goal was really to groom more core members, then it would be like walking on a tight rope. From what the TV normally showed, less than 0.01% of a pack's total population made up the honourable core members. This was because of how hard it was to truly shine in any field. This meant that amongst her and the rest of the children perhaps less than one-tenth of them would be chosen to become core members even if they did have a slight genetic advantage. And she had the feeling that even now they were already being accessed on their suitability. So what would be the fate of those deemed unsuitable to even remain in the programme? Would they be allowed to become inner members? Would they become demoted to outer members like how normal immigrants were treated? Or would the Alpha decide to get rid of all the weaker ones? 

Moreover, there was the question of what she would do. If she wanted any power over her own life and that of her packmates, then she had to become a core member. But in order to become a core member, she had to prove herself beyond outstanding. Yet, if she was too _outstanding_ , too _smart_ and too _mature_ for her own good, the adults could grow suspicious of her instead. 

Now, she had several choices in front of her. Firstly, she could choose to become part of the warrior class. She certainly had the ability to do so and she believed that there would not be many people on this Earth who could beat her once she was allowed to fully mature. If she walked on this route, she could portray herself as someone with more brawn than brain. Although the warrior class also consisted of strategists and the like, it was something she knew she couldn't aspire to become or the Alpha would quickly clamp down on her. 

Secondly, she could choose to become part of the business class. Following which, she could slowly gather power through her control over the economy. This class would give her more freedom though she did not have much confidence in her ability to manipulate the economy. Although she was termed as a genius Nara who thought outside the box, playing with the market was a whole new ball game. Moreover, she did not have much in terms of background which could help her at the starting line. 

Thirdly, she could choose to become part of the scholar class. The scholar class was divided into many subsections of which she could choose from. There were the scientists, the doctors, the engineers, the list went on. Even she didn't know the extent of all the professions within the scholar class. 

Lastly, there was the artisan class. They were composed of musicians, artists, actors, botanists, zoologist etc. However, those of the artisan class rarely became core members. Moreover, she doubted that she had much artistic talent even though she could pass herself as an acceptable one.

Considering the pros and cons, Gazelle felt that perhaps the best solution was for her to follow in the path of her ancestors and walk the path of becoming the best pack healer. That was who her mother had been and her grandfather before that. This way, she could attribute her talent as an inherited inclination. Although she did not have Sakura's talent, passing herself off as a rather talented healer would not be that hard with all the studying she did before despite any differences there may be. Any gaps in knowledge could be filled slowly. Moreover, being a healer would allow her to come into contact with many people in the pack and expand her social network. People were also more likely to feel gratitude towards her or even a sense of debt if she saved their lives. Being part of the scholar class would also allow others to overlook her intelligence a bit more than if she became part of the warrior class ( _even if her blood sang for action_ ).

Nonetheless, all werewolves would have mandatory training sessions and it was expected of everyone to know how to fight, be they a chef or a gardener. So she was not afraid of being exposed for knowing how to fight well or be questioned about her training. Hopefully, her identity as a healer would overshadow any fighting prowess she would display. Gazelle had no interest in being sent to the frontlines to fight in whatever hare-brained scheme the Alpha was thinking about. No, her goal, for now, was just to slowly gain more knowledge about this world, show enough to prove she had potential, and take care of her fellow packmates. 

**Glossary:**

**Stone to 4-4** is one of the most common opening moves in Go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I admit that I've never really studied how people brainwash others beyond the simplest case studies that propagate the news... so uh if it's unbelievable, do forgive me for that! I tried to google it but I couldn't find much on it (SEO and all that I guess)
> 
> Also, the more I wrote the story ahead, the more I kinda realised that the plot holes were just too big to be filled and the maths was killing me... XD Never thought that I would spend so much time researching about world-building when this was just meant to be a simple fantasy fanfiction :/
> 
> But the logistics of how big should the area of a pack be relative to the size of a continent? What should be the size of the werewolf and human population logically? How many alphas can there be in a country? Basically... I realised that things just did not make sense the more I delved into it which was also why this chapter took so long to write. (I tried to cover the plot holes and ended up discovering more holes)
> 
> Eg. Considering the current size of North America is 9.54 million square miles, and the size of a small country like Costa Rica is approximately 20 thousand square miles, this means that there would be a minimum of 477 Alphas in a continent assuming that every Alpha even had a pack as big as a country. So that would mean around 1000 Alphas in the whole of America. And now North America has a population of 579 million people. So if you divide it out, that would mean every alpha is responsible for approximately 1.2million people. And even if only half were werewolves, that would be equivalent to 600k. Can you imagine putting 600k people into 1 packhouse? Or having a war that involves 600k people?
> 
> So please forgive me for any plot holes you find regarding the distribution of people, the land, and what not @-@. I've really tried but I'm no expert world builder, historian or city builder. (Just a lil' noob enviously staring at the MVPs) And trying to make something like this make sense is just too hard :/ I've tried to make most of it make sense and I think it does somewhat. Just uh no hole poking please haha (at least not at the maths please. poke anything else but the maths-related logic)
> 
> Also, the description of the roles is left a little vague though you should get the rough gist because Gazelle is only able to catch snippets here and there. 
> 
> Spoiler: In the next chapter, you'll finally get to see more interactions with the other characters!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left a kudos or comment behind! Would love to hear more from you'll so please REMEMBER TO COMMENT MWAH ♡♡


	5. Early Life in Darkmoon II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of world building with an explanation on soulmates

**The Lone Wolf Dies But The Pack Survives**

**Chapter 5: Early** **Life in Darkmoon II**

"So girls, do you'll still remember what I told you would happen on your 16th birthday?" Reena asked with a sunny smile.

Short, tiny hands rose into the air waving frantically like mini flags of war. 

"Thalia?"

"We will finally be able to shift and find our soulmate!" Thalia exclaimed excitedly.

Reena nodded in approval. "And how would you know who is your soulmate?"

"By our soulmarks! They will glow gold the first time we touch our soulmate! Also, the soulmarks of soulmates are identical."

"Bravo Thalia." Reene continued to speak. "For the benefit of those who have forgotten, at the age of sixteen, one would gain their wolf and shift for the first time. The appearance of one's wolf would then act as a catalyst to awaken one's soulmark, changing it from a passive to an active state. Of course, the colour of one's soulmark will also shift correspondingly from the light grey colour which one's soulmark first appears as, to a solid black. The soulmark will remain black until one finds their soulmate for the first time. At that moment, one's mark will turn bright gold and subsequently, everytime two mates touch, their marks would glow. The base gold colour is permanent until one's soulmate dies, which will result in the survivor's mark turning to a dull silver. The silver mark, however, is not to be mistaken with the light grey mark. The silver mark is many shades darker and more opaque than the translucent light grey mark. Of course, if one's soulmate dies before they find them, the mark will remain in its black state never to change in their lifetime."

Gazelle's hand moved instinctively towards her wrist, her lips curling slightly in a cynical smile. She didn't believe that she would have a soulmate. The mark on her wrist had appeared when she was 3, and everyone had believed it to be her soulmark. She too had once thought it was so. Now, she knew better. The mark, a solid round circle, was a remnant of her past; both its shape and location were identical to when she was _Shikako_. How could the mark that symbolised her identity as part of the _Otsusuki trinity_ , as the _Earth_ , be her soulmark? Nonetheless, it did save her the trouble of inking a mark onto her body herself. _(No she was **not** jealous. She did not have any interest in gaining a soulmate anyway.)_

With dreamy eyes, the other girls touched their soulmarks, and Gazelle could literally see the stars shining in their eyes as they imagined their future lives with their destined one. As much as she also liked the fairytale of having someone destined to love her unconditionally, it was nothing but that - a fairytale. And these stories were doing nothing but filling their head with empty promises. How could life be so beautiful? Shikako sneered in her heart. As long as there were men, there would be sin. That was the nature of humankind. Did these fools really believe that life would be all flowers and sunshine once they found their mates? That there would be no arguments at all? That two people from completely different backgrounds would be able to merge their worldviews so perfectly? These stories being shared were surely only containing a portion of the truth. And she could bet that while the girls were being told of heartwarming stories where their mates would unconditionally give into them and provide them with all their desires, the boys were being told a completely different story. Perhaps it was even one where the girls would serve them faithfully like docile sheep, admiring and worshipping them for their strength and courageous exploits. _(But how could she blame these kids for buying into these lies when she herself wanted them to be true so badly? A life without war or blood, peaceful and beautiful with a handsome lover to shower her with love and accept her unconditionally for all her flaws? Was she perhaps already too war-weary for indulging in such pointless fantasies too? )_

Still whatever the case was, her only duty now was to pretend to be like everyone else. To be one of the flock. To be a star-stuck girl dreaming of knights in shining armour. Because even the most jaded of girls amongst them, despite their weariness against Darkmoon also bought into the romantic fairytales. Soulmates were afterall a cultural thing of their species and not unique to the Darkmoon pack. Even back in her old pack, such romantic bedtime stories were also common. 

Reena continued her lesson, using stories to explain the hierarchy of the pack, subconsciously implanting the seeds of respect for those of higher rankings, amongst the other values the pack leaders wished to promote. In short, her stories could be summarised as "Worship the royals", "Be willing to die for the Alpha and Luna", "Work hard to become an honourable core member", "Try to do better than the inner members", "Do not be lazy and end up becoming a normal member", and "Humans were inferior and meant to serve the benefit of the pack". 

Although Gazelle did not necessarily agree with all the values promoted by Reena, she could understand the pack's point of view. These values would afterall promote loyalty towards the pack and encourage diligence amongst the children. As for the view towards humans? Well, this was just how politics was. No matter in which era, country or world, in order to rally citizens around the flag, political leaders would always create an "other". This "other" could be an internal foe like the rich vs the poor, the blacks vs the whites, men vs women, or an external enemy such as a different country or pack. If it weren't the humans, then it would be another group. As such, Shikako felt rather apathetic towards it all despite how she was also once human _(because only the strong were given the privilege of freedom)_. They weren't _her_ people in this lifetime, and neither was she a self-sacrificing hero like Naruto.

"....And hence, to better prepare you for your future we will soon start to conduct a series of placement tests to ensure you get the best education possible."

Gazelle stiffened as she felt a sense of foreboding. It seemed like these times of leisure and fairytales were surely but slowly coming to an end. Now that their _probation_ period within the pack was ending, the Alpha would most likely start grinding them to produce a new generation of elites. After all, no elites could be born without fierce competition. Complacency only bred mediocracy and failure. Only competition could push a person to their limits. The birth of a single genius was usually done through the sacrifice of countless stepping stones.

"Gazelle!" Nina poked her arm.

Gazelle turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"Did you hear what Auntie Reena just said?"

"I did." Gazelle grimaced. She really had hoped that there would be more time for the other kids to grow up but it seemed like that was just her wishful thinking. _Que sera sera_. 

"I hate tests!" The brunette whined. 

Gazelle smiled at her, through her gaze trailed before falling upon Reena's. As Reena's eyes shifted to meet hers, she quickly dropped her own gaze shyly. 

_Let the games begin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note
> 
> So here's the next chapter and yes I haven't abandoned the story. But I will also admit that updates might be slow so do be patient with me. Add this story to your bookmarks to be immediately informed when it is updated!!! 
> 
> Please do comment :) I read all your comments and love them for what it is. Luv ya guyssss. Feel free to voice any suggestions or criticisms. But if you're just a troll then no one is asking you to read this story.


End file.
